Firm Profile > YBK Law Firm in Cooperation with CMS > Istanbul, Turkey
YBK Law Firm in Cooperation with CMS Offices
SÜZER PLAZA
ASKEROCAGI CADDESI NO 6 KAT 15 D 1501
34367 ELMADAG/SISLI, ISTANBUL
Turkey
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YBK Law Firm in Cooperation with CMS > The Legal 500 Rankings
Banking, finance and capital markets Tier 3
YBK Law Firm in Cooperation with CMS fields English and New York-qualified attorneys in Istanbul, making it a strong choice for advice on cross-border financing transactions. It covers a wide variety of areas, including project finance, acquisition finance, corporate lending and structured trade finance. The firm generates work from a mix of foreign and domestic borrowers and lenders. Döne Yalçın co-heads the team with recent arrival Hülya Kemahlı (who joined from KM Law Office) and Burcu Boso.Practice head(s):
Testimonials
‘In-time, reliable advice with the right business judgement’.
Key clients
EBRD
Ak-taş Dış Ticaret A.Ş.
T-Dinamik Enerji A.Ş.
Akbank T.A.Ş.
MCI Management S.A.
Employment Tier 4
YBK Law Firm in Cooperation with CMS advises on employment contracts, termination agreements, collective dismissals, employment disputes and restructuring. Döne Yalçın, who has extensive experience with collective redundancy procedures and internal investigations, heads the practice jointly with Alican Babalıoğlu.
Practice head(s):
Key clients
Ak-taş Dış Ticaret Anonim Şirketi
Else Moda Giyim Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş.
Howden Broking Group Limited
YBK Law Firm in Cooperation with CMS > Firm Profile
Main Contacts
Department | Name | Telephone | |
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Corporate and M&A | |||
Banking and finance, restructuring | |||
Antitrust and merger control | |||
Tax | |||
Capital markets | |||
Dispute resolution | |||
IP | |||
Employment and pensions | |||
Real estate and construction | |||
Energy and renewables | |||
Commercial | |||
Compliance | |||
Infrastructure | |||
Public procurement |
Lawyer Profiles
Photo | Name | Position | Profile |
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Alican Babalıoğlu | Alican Babalıoğlu is a partner and co-founder of Yalçın Babalıoğlu Kemahlı Law… | View Profile |
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Hülya Kemahlı | Hülya is a named partner of Yalçın Babalıoğlu Kemahlı Law Firm (“YBK”)… | View Profile |
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Dr Döne Yalcin | Dr. Yalçın is the Managing Partner of Yalçın Babalıoğlu Kemahlı Law Firm… | View Profile |
Staff Figures
Number of lawyers : 4,500Languages
Turkish English French GermanMemberships
CMS is a global top 10 law firm with over 4 500 professionals in 74 offices and 42 countries worldwide.Interviews
Dr. Döne Yalçın, Managing Partner
What do you see as the main points that differentiate YBK from your competitors?
Based on client feedback and our high client retention rates, we can confidently say that our teamwork and responsiveness but, coupled with our sector knowledge and ability to work seamlessly with local and international teams, are what set us apart from other Turkish law firms.
Which practices do you see growing in the next 12 months? What are the drivers behind that?
Restructuring is of course is a major area where clients are looking for assistance (please see the financial restructuring example below). Currently we are involved in different type of restructurings including major financial and employee restructurings. Once the Turkish government provides more stability for foreign investors we hope to see an increase in M&As and IPOs to keep our capital markets team busy. Cyber and digitization have been on the rise this year – a trend we expect to see continue. Last but not least, everything around sustainability and how it impacts every practice and sector is here to stay.
What’s the main change you’ve made in the firm that will benefit clients?
We made material investments in AI and LegalTech, where our lawyers and support staff worked together in multidisciplinary innovation teams to invent and build new tech products. This will help us to add value and drive efficiency savings when working for our clients.
Is technology changing the way you interact with your clients, and the services you can provide them?
Yes, as mentioned we have invested heavily in integrating automation, AI, LegalTech and knowledge management into every aspect of how we service our clients. We have launched exciting apps this year for sustainability,data breaches and the insurance sector, with more lined up for 2021.
Can you give us a practical example of how you have helped a client to add value to their business?
As we take the time to really know our clients and their needs as well as their markets and sectors, we are able to add value to our clients. A recent example of how clients require our deep involvement in the commercial aspects of transactions to allow us to add value and assist them in achieving mutually satisfactory arrangements for all parties is this 2020 restructuring deal. The deal was turned around in a month and satisfying from both the lenders’ and borrowers’ perspectives, crucial in the type of deal and sector.
The YBK banking team, led by myself and Alaz Eker Ündar, provided assistance to a consortium of 13 banks, with DenizBank as lead, with respect to a highly sensitive and comprehensive financial restructuring arrangement for the existing financial indebtedness of a leading Turkish group engaged in construction activities, and the granting of additional financing as part of the restructuring process. Compared to other similar transactions in the market, which have proven to be highly time-consuming, the deal was signed and closed within a month due to the statutory deadlines imposed by the applicable legislation.
Are clients looking for stability and strategic direction from their law firms – where do you see the firm in three years’ time?
The trusted advisor role is key – get to know your clients, what drives them, what do heads of legal need to know and do in order to convince their boards of the appropriate course of action. Being strategic thinkers on behalf of our clients and showing them what is ahead in their sector is certainly vital for a lawyer. However; it has to go beyond just legal advice. I anticipate that in the next few years my team will perfect this holistic style of legal services provision, using the best available technology and resources, to give the client the comfort that we are in this together and we are future facing.
Legal Briefings
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Doing business in the UAE
CMS’s John O’Connor and Harkee Wilson discuss the challenges and issues businesses face operating in the UAE and investigate some of the recent changes in the business environment.
Comparative Guides
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Austria: Securitisation
Published: March 2020
Authors: Stefan Paulmayer
This country-specific Q&A provides an overview to Securitisation laws and regulations that may occur in Austria.
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Switzerland: Intellectual Property
Published: June 2020
Authors: Dr. Dirk Spacek LL.M
This country-specific Q&A provides an overview to Intellectual Property laws and regulations that may occur in Switzerland.